Are vitamins and supplements necessary to eat healthy?

There are a lot of vitamins sold today. They come in all forms – pills,
capsules, packets of pills and supplement drinks. We now have more and
more good research that says they are pretty much worthless. We know that
vitamins are good for you, but the research is now clear that getting your
vitamins from food and not supplements is better for you.

For instance, one study looked at the effect of Vitamin C on inflammation.
The study evaluated whether eating fruits and vegetables high in Vitamin
C would have an effect on inflammatory markers in the blood (AJCN 83;567-574).
In looking at about 3,200 men between the ages of 60 and 79 they found
lower levels of chemicals that cause inflammation in those with higher
intakes of Vitamin C from fruits. Vitamin C intake from vegetables showed
only reduced blood clotting factors. Similar studies using vitamins in
pill form have not shown comparable results.

In one very well designed
study in Scotland,
researchers used a supplement containing 11 vitamins and 5 minerals.
Over 900 men and women 65 or older were given either the test supplement
or a placebo daily for a year. The participants' mental status was
assessed at the beginning and the end of the study using two standard
tests. The researchers found no difference between the two groups.
Those over 75 and those who were already nutritionally deficient showed
did show a slight positive effect, but it was not statistically significant.

In a meta-analysis of eleven studies, researchers looked at whether taking
supplements of antioxidants and B vitamins had any effect on the progression
of heart disease (Am J Clin Nutr 2006;84:880-7). The studies looked at
the amount of plaque lining the arteries of those in the study, then assigned
them to get no supplements, antioxidants or B vitamins. The outcome showed
no evidence that taking vitamins in pill form had any effect on heart disease.
In fact, 6 of the studies suggested that taking antioxidants might actually
make the progression of atherosclerosis worse. Even more worrisome, the
vitamins seemed to reduce the positive effects of common atherosclerosis
medications.

One of the most comprehensive studies recently studied the role of Vitamin
E and selenium in the prevention of prostate cancer. The SELECT trial looked
at a variety of combinations of these two supplements, and found that alone
or in combination, neither had any effect on the prevention of prostate
cancer (JAMA 2009; 301 E1 – E13). Similarly, a major review by the respected
Cochrane group found that supplements had no effect on a variety of diseases,
including gastrointestinal, cardiovascular, neurological, ocular, dermatological,
rheumatoid, renal or endocrinological (Cochrane Database
of Systematic Reviews 2008, Issue 2. Art. No.: CD007176).

The National Institutes of Health studied Vitamin C in healthy adults
and concluded that the current RDA of 60 mg daily may not be adequate for
most adults. RDAs were originally set to prevent vitamin deficiencies and
scientists are rethinking those guidelines (JAMA 1999; 281: 1415 - 1423).
The new recommendation from this study is that 100-200 mg daily will best
meet most adult needs. On the other hand, consuming more than 1000 mg daily
was found to be detrimental. This study was conducted with the use of foods
high in Vitamin C and did not use vitamin supplements.

You can meet these new RDAs by eating 5 servings of fruits or vegetables
per day. It's probably a good idea to add a couple servings to that list,
especially if you're highly active, overly stressed or experiencing a growth
period.